How to prepare Agricultural & Rural Development for NABARD Grade A?

If you are aspiring to become an Assistant Manager in NABARD, you must be aware of the importance of the Agricultural & Rural Development (ARD) section in the exam. The ARD section carries 40 marks in Phase 1 and it’s also there in the mains exam. It tests your knowledge of various aspects of agriculture and rural development in India, such as crops, irrigation, soil, schemes, policies, institutions, etc.

To prepare well for this section, you need to follow some tips and strategies that will help you score high marks and clear the cut-off. Here are some of them:

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Know the syllabus and exam pattern

The first step to preparing for any exam is to know the syllabus and exam pattern. The syllabus of ARD covers topics such as agriculture, rural development, rural credit, rural infrastructure, rural livelihoods, etc. The exam pattern of ARD is different for prelims and mains. In prelims, there are 40 objective questions of 40 marks. In mains, there are 6 descriptive questions of varying marks (10/15) out of which you have to attempt 4 questions.

Refer to reliable sources

The next step is to refer to reliable sources for studying ARD. You can use books, magazines, websites, reports, etc that provide authentic and updated information on ARD topics. Some of the recommended sources are:

NABARD website: https://www.nabard.org/
Weekly Current Affairs
Economic Survey
Union Budget 2023-24 Summary
New Foreign Trade Policy 2023
State of Indian Agriculture: http://agricoop.nic.in/state-indian-agriculture
Kurukshetra magazine: https://kurukshetra.gov.in/
Agriculture at a Glance by R K Sharma
Rural Development by GPH Panel of Experts

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Make notes and revise regularly

The third step is to make notes and revise regularly. You should make notes of important facts, data, schemes, policies, etc related to ARD topics. You should also revise them periodically to retain them in your memory. You can use flashcards, charts, diagrams, mnemonics, etc to make your notes more effective and easy to recall.

Practice previous year papers

The fourth step is to practice previous year papers and mock tests. You should solve previous year papers of NABARD Grade A exam to get an idea of the type and level of questions asked in ARD section. You should also take mock tests to assess your preparation level and identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can sign up here to access quality mock tests for NABARD Grade A exam.

Stay updated with current affairs

The fifth step is to stay updated with current affairs related to ARD topics. You should read newspapers, magazines, websites, etc that cover news and events related to agriculture and rural development in India and abroad. You should also follow government schemes, policies, initiatives, reports, etc that affect ARD sector. You should also prepare notes on current affairs and revise them regularly.

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Practice mock tests

Once you think your preparation is done, you should start practising mock tests. The first Mock test is free and it will help you assess your current level of preparation. Analysis of mock tests will provide you with a list of your strong and weak areas. You can start putting extra effort into those weak areas and thereby improve your performance. Continuously taking mock tests will help you gauge your performance as you keep bettering your performance.